Catastrophe Chronicles

In this gripping episode of Catastrophe Chronicles, Katie and Arin Babbick venture into the heart of Canada to unravel the truth behind the nation's most devastating rock slide. Discover the geological and historical context of the Frank Slide, as we explore the chaotic event that left a section of Turtle Mountain scattered across the valley floor and changed the town of Frank, Alberta, forever.

Join us for a narrative that weaves ...

Step right up to a tale of tragedy and transformation on this episode of Catastrophe Chronicles. Join hosts Katie and Arin Babbick as they delve into the harrowing story of the Hartford Circus Fire of 1944, a day marked by devastation and change. Explore the circumstances that turned a joyful afternoon under the big top into a deadly inferno, remembered as the day the clowns cried. Discover how the disaster unfolded, the heroism an...

Join Katie and Arin Babbick on an evocative journey into the ferocious heart of the Children's Blizzard of 1888. This episode of Catastrophe Chronicles vividly recounts the brutal surprise of a winter storm that transformed a seemingly innocent school day across the Great Plains into a desperate scramble for survival. As temperatures plunged and merciless winds carried a blinding wall of snow, the episode sheds light on the impact ...

Join Katie and Arin Babbick in the latest episode of Catastrophe Chronicles as they delve into the tragic final flight of the Space Shuttle Columbia. In the concluding chapter of their space disaster series, explore how NASA's repeated oversight and failure to act upon known safety issues led to a preventable tragedy. Drawing parallels with the Challenger disaster, this episode examines the ignored warnings, critical decisions, and...

In this riveting episode, Katie and Arin Babbick take us back to January 28, 1986, as they delve into the horrifying final moments of the Challenger space shuttle disaster. Despite engineers' desperate warnings, NASA management proceeded with the launch, leading to a tragic outcome that shook the world.

Explore the cold realities of the fated mission, uncover the infamous O-ring failure, and dissect the myths surrounding the explos...

In this gripping episode of Catastrophe Chronicles, hosts Katie and Arin Babbick delve into the overlooked warnings and ignored red flags that led up to NASA's Challenger disaster. With a rare look behind the curtain, we explore the arrogance, corporate mishaps, and pressure that made this tragedy almost inevitable. As we set the stage for understanding NASA's catastrophic 'uh-oh' moment, you'll discover harrowing parallels with co...

In this gripping episode of Catastrophe Chronicles, join Katie and Arin Babbick as they revisit the harrowing journey of Apollo 13, NASA's third planned moon landing mission that became an epic survival story in space history. Discover the nerve-wracking sequence of events after an oxygen tank explosion jeopardized the mission, leaving astronauts and ground control in a desperate race against time to bring the crew back to Earth sa...

Welcome back to Catastrophe Chronicles. Join Katie and Arin Babbick as they delve into the gripping tale of the West Virginia Mine Wars, an era marked by power struggles, protests, and the miners' fight for justice. Explore the tumultuous events that transformed the Appalachian Hills into a battlefield, culminating in the largest armed uprising in U.S. history since the Civil War, the Battle of Blair Mountain.

Witness the miners' r...

Welcome to Catastrophe Chronicles, where hosts Katie and Arin Babbick delve into stories within disaster history. In this episode, they uncover the largely forgotten tragedy of Continental Airlines Flight 11, which occurred in 1962, years before the more infamous Flight 11 of 2001.

Set against the backdrop of the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement, and the burgeoning jet age, the episode discusses the intricate and tragic details ...

Welcome to another thrilling episode of Catastrophe Chronicles. This week, disaster aficionado Katie Babbick and her co-host Arin Babbick dive deep into the infamous 1977 NYC blackout. The night New York City went dark, chaos ensued, unfolding an evening unlike any other—with looting, rioting, and unexpected opportunities shaking the city to its core.

Discover how over the course of 25 chaotic hours, thousands of businesses were de...

Join Katie and Arin Babbick in this episode of Catastrophe Chronicles as they dive into one of the strangest disasters of medieval times: the Erfurt Latrine Collapse of 1184. Discover how a gathering of noblemen, convened to settle a political dispute, turned into a catastrophic descent into a cesspit. Laugh along with the hosts as they explore the events that led to nearly 100 aristocrats taking an unexpected plunge, challenging t...

Join Katie and Ari Babbick as they unravel the story of the Texas City disaster, a colossal explosion that shook the Gulf Coast in 1947. This episode of Catastrophe Chronicles dives deep into the chain of catastrophic events starting with the SS Grand Camp explosion and the aftermath that forever changed Texas City. Discover how the chemistry revolution and the mishandling of dangerous chemicals like ammonium nitrate led to one of ...

Join hosts Arin and Katie Babbick as they explore the tragic story of the Kursk, a Russian submarine disaster that shook the world on August 12, 2000. Delving into the heart of this catastrophe, the episode navigates through the series of events, from the initial explosion to the controversial rescue efforts marred by political and military bureaucracies.

With a balanced mix of historical context and personal anecdotes, the hosts e...

Catastrophe Chronicles delves into the harrowing story of the Doña Paz Ferry disaster, the deadliest peacetime maritime accident in history. Hosted by Katie and Arin Babbick, this episode explores the tragic events of December 20, 1987, in the Philippines, where over 4,000 lives were lost. Listeners will be taken through the overcrowded conditions on board, the catastrophic collision with the oil tanker MT Vector, and the subsequen...

In this episode of "Catastrophe Chronicles," hosts Katie Babbick and Arin Babbick delve into the harrowing tale of the Great Fire of 1910. This massive wildfire consumed over 3 million acres across the Northern Rockies, reducing entire towns to ashes and putting the U.S. Forest Service to a grueling test. Despite operating with limited resources and congressional promises instead of funds, brave rangers and civilian volunteers batt...

Join us as we explore one of the deadliest fires in U.S. history, the Station Nightclub fire of 2003. This episode delves into the catastrophic event that began with pyrotechnics during a Great White concert and ended in tragedy. Discover the glaring safety failures, the overcrowded conditions, and the lessons learned from this preventable disaster. We discuss the fire's impact, the aftermath, and the ongoing implications for publi...

In December 1952, London was enveloped by the Great Smog, a deadly weather and pollution disaster that lasted for five days. The smog, caused by a combination of industrial pollution and cold temperatures, suffocated the city and led to thousands of deaths. In this episode, we explore the impact of the smog on London’s residents, the aftermath of the tragedy, and the lasting changes it brought to environmental policy. Tune in for a...

Welcome to Catastrophe Chronicles, where we delve into the dramatic events that have shaken our world to its core. In this gripping episode, we explore the catastrophic earthquake that struck Lisbon on All Saints Day in 1755. From the terrifying rumblings that shattered the peaceful city to the lethal wave of tsunamis and the ensuing inferno that reduced Lisbon to ruins, we uncover the harrowing details of this seismic tragedy.

Joi...

Welcome back to Catastrophe Chronicles, where hosts Katie and Arin Babbick dive into one of history's most bizarre disasters - the Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919. In this episode, they explore the sticky chaos that ensued when a massive molasses tank burst, unleashing a deadly wave through the streets of Boston.

Join Katie and Arin as they unravel the dark history behind molasses and its ties to American independence, the slav...